NEW YORK, NY – The Monmouth University Men's Track and Field Team sits in second place on the team leaderboard with 44 points after day one at the 2024 CAA Indoor Track and Field Championships.
 
The men trail only Northeastern by three points, while the women sit in 11^th place with 5.5 points.

Dalton Yeust won gold in his third consecutive men's CAA Championship by clearing the bar at 4.85m in the pole vault. Connor Bennett captured a medal for the second straight season with a clearance of 4.65m (bronze).

In addition, Zay Battle took the bronze medal home with his mark of 18.57m in the men's weight throw. Tomas Barry, Jordan Ricketts, Luke Riley, and Seb Reed combined for a time of 9:58.79 and a silver medal in the men's DMR. That DMR mark now ranks sixth all-time in MU history.

Yasmeen Tinsley qualified for two separate finals. With a time of 8.47, Tinsley set a school record in the 60m hurdles before running an impressive 55.94 top finish inside of the top eight for the 400m. The junior then set a new personal record in the 200m, winning her heat at 22.34 – a time that sits just .04 seconds shy of the school record.

Ahmad Brock made the cut for the 60m dash with a new personal best time of 6.80, while A.J. Brooks qualified for the 60m hurdles finals at 8.17. Brooks also set a new PR in the process, ranking him tied for fifth all-time in Monmouth history.

Three Hawks will run for gold Friday in the 800m dash. On the men's side, Ian Moore set a personal best time at 1:51.70, while Kevin Collura registered an automatic bid by finishing second in his heat at 1:54.77. Moore's time moves him up to sixth all-time in program history. Ashley Navarro will represent the Hawks in the women's final after posting a time of 2:11.52.
 
Another four Hawks will compete in Friday's mile finals. Declan McDonnell ran a 4:08.48 and James Martinez ran a 4:12.94 to qualify on the men's side, while Emily Simko rebroke her Monmouth freshman record to make the women final with a mark of 4:55.46. Isabella Leak joins Simko in the final after posting a time of 5:00.10.

Brock and Alexander Kislenko gave valiant efforts in the men's long jump but finished fourth and sixth, respectively. Both set new personal bests and cracked the MU Top Tens List with Brock registering a 7.24m jump (tied-sixth) and Kislenko posting a 7.20m mark (ninth).

David Strong (second place, 2,816 points), Jan Volkmar (third, 2,801 points), and Dylan Bonser (fourth, 2,598 points) will look to medal in the heptathlon in their final three events on Friday.
 
MEDAL WINNERS
Men's Pole Vault: Dalton Yeust – 4.85m, gold
Men's Pole Vault: Connor Bennett – 4.65m, bronze
Men's Weight Throw: Zay Battle – 18.57m, bronze
Men's DMR: Barry, Ricketts, Riley, Reed – 9:58.79, silver
 
QUALIFIERS
Men's 60m: Ahmad Brock – 6.80
Men's 60m Hurdles: A.J. Brooks – 8.17
Women's 60m Hurdles: Yasmeen Tinsley – 8.47, SCHOOL RECORD
Women's 400m: Yasmeen Tinsley – 55.94
Men's 800m: Ian Moore – 1:51.70
Men's 800m: Kevin Collura – 1:54.77
Women's 800m: Ashley Navarro – 2:11.52
Men's Mile: Declan McDonnell – 4:08.48
Men's Mile: James Martinez – 4:12.94
Women's Mile: Emily Simko – 4:55.46, FRESHMAN RECORD
Women's Mile: Isabella Leak – 5:00.10
 
UP NEXT
The Hawks compete in the second of two days at the CAA Indoor Track and Field Championships on Friday. Action is set to resume at the Armory at 9:15 a.m.